Sine Oscillators

Oscillators plugin for VCV Rack

This plugin is composed of oscillators modules which produce « complex » waveforms out of
simple sine waves by transforming them using various methods.

Currently, the plugin is composed of :

- Cosmosc : a phase distorted sine oscillator;

- Famosc : a frequency and amplitude modulated sine oscillator;

- Foldingosc : a folded over sine oscillator.

We wish you a nice journey in transforming and modulating sine waves with these handy
oscillators ! Enjoy !

Each module is described in the following pages.

Version 0.6.1 (2018/04/04) 1/9

Common parameters
Pitch section

This where you set the pitch of the oscillator.

• OCT changes the pitch of the oscillator in octave steps. The range is 7 octaves.

• SEMI changes the pitch of the oscillator in semi-tones steps. The range is -12 to 12.

• CENTS changes the pitch of the oscillator in cents steps. The range is -50 to 50;

The pitch can be CV modulated thanks to the PITCH CV input and the attenuator on the left of the
pitch section.

The 1V switch enables, if a cable is plugged in the 1V/OCT input, pitch tracking with the
conventional standard where an increase of 1V doubles the frequency.

Note : In some combinations, the settings of the knobs and the input modulations lead to a
realtime frequency above 18kHz. In those cases, the frequency stays at 18kHz.

Also, if the realtime frequency is very low (typically < 20Hz) you’re not going to hear anything (or a
slow rumble).

Key scaling section

This section allows to lower the amount of modulation when the pitch is above a given note.

• KS indicates the « starting note » from which the amount of modulation will start to be
reduced. The « starting note » is set by turning the white little knob.

• Decay tells how the amount reduction is applied beginning from the « starting note », from
immediately (when set to lowest) to progressively spanning 400Hz (when set to highest).

• Depth sets the amount of applied reduction, from no reduction to cancelation of the
modulation.

Key scaling helps reduce aliasing by limiting the amount of modulation applied when high notes
are played, thus attenuating higher frequency components in the signal.

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COSMOSC
Phase Distorted sine oscillator

This module implements a phase distorted sine oscillator (in fact, there are 2 oscillators). This
synthesis method has been commercially available in the 80s with the sometimes called « Cosmo
Synthesizers », hence the name of this module : Cosmosc = COSM[o] OSC[illator] !

The phase distortion technique consists of reading a sine wave at different speeds during its
period, hence distorting the original wave. Depending on the way the reading speed is changed,
different « target waves » are obtained (such as saw, square or pulse like waveforms). By
increasing the amount of speed changes, the wave goes from sine (when the amount is 0) to the
target wave (saw, square, etc.). The change in timbre resembles the effect of a low pass filter
applied to the target wave. This technique is purely digital and so the « color » is somewhat
different from the « analog subtractive » method.

The module is composed of several areas which are described thereafter (except pitch and key
scaling sections which are described in the previous section).

Pitch section

Key scaling section

Waveforms and Phase Distortion section

Oscillator 2 section

CVs inputs and Audio outputs section

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Waveforms and Phase Distortion section

Cosmosc is in fact 2 oscillators. For each oscillator, 2 target waves are played in series, one after
the other.

You select the target waves by clicking on the glyphs.

• The 1st row is for the main oscillator.

• The 2nd row is for Oscillator 2 (you have to enable it in order to hear it, see below).

The target waves are the following : Saw-like, Square-like, Pulse1-like and Pulse2-like.

You set the amount of phase distortion using the white knob to go from the sine wave (when the
knob is set at its lowest setting) to the target wave (when the knob is set at its highest setting).

The amount of phase distortion can be CV modulated thanks to the PD CV input and the
attenuator knob on the left.

Note : the applied phase distortion amount is the same for the 2 oscillators.

Oscillator 2 section

A second oscillator is provided, it is enabled or disabled by clicking on the blue switch.

The oscillator can be detuned with respect to the main oscillator (useful for creating a sub,
unisson, beating or otherwise non harmonically related oscillator).

• Coarse set the detuning of the 2nd oscillator in semi-tones steps. The range is -24 to 24 (-2
octaves to +2 octaves). A blue LED is light when the setting corresponds to a multiple of an
octave.

• Fine sets the detuning of the 2nd oscillator in cents steps. The range is -50 to 50.

The amount of detuning can be CV modulated thanks to the 2DETUNE CV input and the attenuator
knob on the left.

Audio outputs section

There 3 audio outputs :

• OUT is the mix of the 2 oscillators.

• OUT1 outputs only the main oscillator (identical to OUT if Oscillator 2 is disabled).

• OUT2 outputs only the 2nd oscillator (if Oscillator 2 is disabled, no signal is output).

These separated outputs can be used to further mix the oscillators outside of the module, but
they can also be plugged in the pitch and detuned inputs to access auto modulation…

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 FAMOSC
Frequency and Amplitude modulated sine oscillator

This module implements a frequency and amplitude modulated sine oscillator. The modulation
source is itself another sine oscillator. This synthesis method has been used in numerous
synthesizers since the late 70s and one of them was so successful, it was known outside of the
music creation scene. It was very famous, hence the name of this module : Famosc !

The frequency modulation technique consists of using an oscillator to modulate the frequency of
an other oscillator. The amplitude modulation consists of using an oscillator to modulate the
amplitude of an other oscillator. The modulating oscillator is called the modulator and the
modulated oscillator is called the carrier.

In Famosc, the modulator and the carrier are sine wave oscillators. The same modulator is used
for frequency and amplitude modulation of the same carrier.

By setting different values for the modulator frequency and by increasing the « strength » of the
modulation of the carrier, you can achieve a large spectrum of waveforms.

You can easily find very good explanation of those techniques by searching the internet.

The module is composed of several areas which are described thereafter (except pitch and key
scaling sections which are described in the previous section).

Pitch section

Key scaling section

Amplitude and frequency modulation section

Modulator section

CVs inputs and Audio outputs section

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Amplitude and frequency modulation section

Famosc uses 2 modulation techniques : amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation
(FM). Each modulation can be toggle on or off by using the corresponding switches.

The amounts of modulation are set by the white knobs :

- the left smaller knob sets the amplitude modulation amount,

- the right bigger knob sets the frequency modulation amount.

Each amount of modulation can be CV modulated thanks to the AM and FM CV inputs and the
attenuator knobs on the left (the upper one is for CV of the amplitude modulation amount, the
lower one is for CV of the frequency modulation amount).

Modulator section

This is where you set the frequency of the modulator which is a « multiple » of the frequency of the
carrier (which is set in the Pitch section). AM and FM synthesis produce harmonic or non
harmonic sounds according to whether the modulator frequency is an « integer » multiple of the
carrier frequency or not. Moreover, FM synthesis can appear puzzling when changing the
modulator frequency in that the timbre changes are not necessarily « continuous ». But that can
be learned and once you know the « nice hits » between carrier and modulator frequencies, you’ll
be right at home ! So, the following controls are provided :

• a display (green) of the value of the « multiple » of the modulator frequency allows you to
know its exact value, which is set with the 2 knobs.

• Coarse sets the multiple in « integer » steps. The values are 0.5 at the lowest, then 1 to 24.

• Fine sets the « fractional » part of the multiple and permits non harmonic sounds. The values
depend on the Coarse value.

The « multiple » (and so the modulator frequency) can be CV modulated thanks to the M CV input
and the attenuator knob on the left.

Note : High values of the « multiple » are intended to be used with very low carrier pitches. You
may hear aliasing with diverse combinations of high settings or realtime CV values for carrier
pitch and or modulator « multiple » and or FM amount. You can lower this aliasing by reducing the
knobs set values and CV depths and or using key scalling attenuation.

Audio outputs section

There 3 audio outputs :

• AFM outputs the amplitude and frequency modulated carrier signal.

• FM outputs only the frequency modulated part of the carrier signal (identical to AFM if the
AM switch is Off).

• M outputs the modulator signal (a sine wave at the « multiple » frequency).

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 FOLDINGOSC
Wave folded sine oscillator

This module implements a wave folded sine oscillator. The « wave folding » technique creates
harmonics out of a signal by first amplifying it, to make parts of it above a given value, and then
folding over those parts around that given value. Complexity of the resulting spectrum can be
increased by applying an offset to amplify more the positive or negative values of the wave.

This technique is applied here one a sine wave and implemented as an oscillator.

The module is composed of several areas which are described thereafter (except pitch and key
scaling sections which are described in the previous section).

Pitch section

Key scaling section

Wave folding section

Oscillator 2 section

CVs inputs and Audio outputs section

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Wavefolding section

This section allows you to set the « strength » of the wavefolding process.

The amounts of wavefolding are set by the white knobs :

- the left smaller knob ilets you introduce an asymmetry in the sine wave amplitude and hence
enforce the effect on the positive or negative parts of the sine wave,

- the right bigger knob sets the depth of the effect by amplifying the sine wave and then increase
the part of the wave that will be folded over.

Each amount of modulation can be CV modulated thanks to the OFFSET and DEPTH CV inputs and
the attenuator knobs on the left (the upper one is for CV of the offset, the lower one is for CV of
the depth amount).

Note : you may hear aliasing with high settings for the depth of wavefolding, combined with a high
pitch. You can lower this aliasing by reducing the depth setting and or using key scalling
attenuation.

Oscillator 2 section

A second oscillator is provided, it is enabled or disabled by clicking on the red switch.

The oscillator can be detuned with respect to the main oscillator (useful for creating a sub,
unisson, beating or otherwise non harmonically related oscillator).

• Coarse set the detuning of the 2nd oscillator in semi-tones steps. The range is -24 to 24 (-2
octaves to +2 octaves). A red LED is light when the setting corresponds to a multiple of an
octave.

• Fine sets the detuning of the 2nd oscillator in cents steps. The range is -50 to 50.

The amount of detuning can be CV modulated thanks to the 2DETUNE CV input and the attenuator
knob on the left.

Audio outputs section

There 3 audio outputs :

• OUT is the mix of the 2 oscillators.

• OUT1 outputs only the main oscillator (identical to OUT if Oscillator 2 is disabled).

• OUT2 outputs only the 2nd oscillator (if Oscillator 2 is disabled, no signal is output).

These separated outputs can be used to further mix the oscillators outside of the module, but
they can also be plugged in the pitch and detuned inputs to access auto modulation…

Version 0.6.1 (2018/04/04) 8/9

Version logs
Cosmosc
v_0.6.0 (2018/03/29)

VCV Rack 0.6.x compatibility

v_0.5.0 (2018/03/07)

Initial version, compatible with VCV Rack 0.5.x

Famosc
v_0.6.0 (2018/04/04)

Initial version, compatible with VCV Rack 0.6.x

Foldingosc
v_0.6.0 (2018/04/04)

Initial version, compatible with VCV Rack 0.6.x

Audio demos

Video demos

Other Animated Circuits plugins

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Contact

animatedcircuits@gmail.com

Web

www.animated-circuits.com

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